Tell us a bit about yourselves- how did you meet and what is your proposal story?

Kristy – Craig and I met through a mutual friend in our second year at Plymouth University. We left Uni together, moved to London and have since bought our first home together here. We’ve been together 10 years this year! Craig proposed in February 2022 during storm Eunice. We were in Cornwall, where he is from, and he was pestering me to go for a cliff walk despite the horrendous weather so I thought he may be planning something. We lasted about 1 minute outside before he got down on one knee and we quickly ran back to the car for shelter and warmth. It was an easy yes.

 

What made you choose Hyde House as your Wedding venue?

Craig – The Cotswolds is an area of the UK that we have spent lots of time together and it’s also in between Cornwall and Dorset, where our families are from. We set a weekend aside to travel from London, packing in viewings in the hope of finding the one. As it turns out, Hyde House was the second viewing we had and blew the other out of the water. We cancelled the rest of our bookings and paid our deposit that weekend.

Kristy – We just got that feeling at Hyde. The contrast between the traditional house and the blank-canvas modern barn spaces alongside the the stylish bar, and bedrooms – we felt like it had a bit of everything. No detail had been missed and we just knew it was the venue for us.

 

What drew you towards having an Autumn Wedding day?

Craig – An autumn wedding had always been our plan. We were realistic about how unpredictable the weather in the UK can be and we knew we would be upset if we chose a summer date and it rained. So, with that in mind we decided that an October wedding felt a bit less pressurised weather-wise, and we could plan for the whole day to be inside. We were very lucky that on our wedding day the weather was mild, and our guests were therefore able to overflow into the outside space, which was lovely.

 

Your day was so beautiful with so many gorgeous and well thought out touches. Who were your talented suppliers and what made you choose them?

Kristy – We felt incredibly lucky to have some of the best suppliers pulling our dream together. Most of them we either found via Hyde’s recommended supplier list or through Instagram. We chose Katherine (Haze Lea Florals) for our flowers, as they were the most important ‘extra’ for me. Katherine fully got our vision, and we are still receiving compliments about her stunning arrangements to this day! Styletopia styled our wedding, and we loved the sustainability aspect of ‘renting’ their props, and using their faux florals for the big pieces so nothing went to waste. We chose Matthew Bee (Cotswold Guitarist) for our ceremony and reception, and Apollo Soul for the evening and we couldn’t recommend them both enough, they were just incredible. Our cake was made by Hannah Culley’s Cakes and was a huge hit with all our guests – we are still munching on it from the freezer months down the line. And finally, our getting ready team comprised of Lauren Gosling Hair and Amy Rose Make Up both of whom bought the fun but chilled vibes whilst making all of the girls feel amazing.

 

How did you find the planning process and did one of you take charge or was it a team effort?

Kristy – The wedding planning process has a bit of negative press, and we were worried that we would find it overwhelming and stressful, but we couldn’t have had a more opposite experience. I’m a ‘planner’ and had the vision in my mind/on my Pinterest board of what I wanted the day to look like so definitely took the reins initially. But once I had narrowed the searches down to a couple of options, Craig (the more decisive one!) stepped in and made final choices. When we got closer to the big day, the details came back to me and I really enjoyed making styling choices, sourcing stationery and gifts for our families etc.

 

What were each of your favourite moments from your day? 

Kristy – It was genuinely all amazing. I loved getting ready with my best girls and my Mum, listening to music, and feeling fully pampered. Then the moment I saw Craig at the end of the aisle was just so special. Honestly, every moment was full of joy and love, and I’ve never smiled so much in my life.

Craig – I think the moment we walked into the wedding breakfast, ‘signed, sealed, delivered’ blaring, everyone waving their napkins in the air was just awesome. But every moment was amazing, we just had the best day ever.

 

Tell us something we wouldn’t know about your Wedding Day from the pictures?

Craig – Me and the groomsmen very nearly didn’t make it in time! We rented a house for the weekend before the wedding and were checking out the morning of, and we accidentally dropped the key somewhere on the stone driveway so had to spend way too long searching for it. Luckily, we found it and were on our way, but it was a bit hairy!

Kristy – During the reception drinks, someone knocked into my friend who was stood close by and holding an espresso martini… It went all down the front of my dress. Luckily, I was so high on cloud nine, I was genuinely not that bothered. My bridesmaids and I escaped up to the bridal getting ready room and with a steamer and some plain cloth, managed to get the worst of it out!

 

What would be your words of wisdom for future Hyde House couples?

Kristy – Trust the process. It’s easy to overthink your choices in the period from booking suppliers to your day arriving as it’s usually a fairly long wait but remember that you made your decisions for a reason. Somebody said to me that the only person who knows ‘what your wedding should look like’ is you – so if something goes wrong (and it probably will), no-one else will know, and on the day, you will be so elated, you also won’t care.

Craig – Make the most of the fact that everyone you and your partner love is under one roof. It’s such a rare opportunity. As well as others, make sure you carve time out to spend with each other because the day really does fly by.

 

Photography- Lucie Watson Photography